Ok, this absolutely fucking slays. - 94%

The new effort from Devy and Co. is a wonderfully produced, beautifully written, and brutally and savagely performed. Devin's vocals rip the guitar riffs to shreds, speaking of riffs, they are in much heavier abundance on "Alien" than on any other SYL album, and their quality is astounding. Songs like Shitstorm and Love? are absolutely gigantic, Hoglan's classic drumming and Shroud's subatomic bass hold everything together, while Simon and Townsend tear the audible sphere completely apart. Repeat this for ten tracks, with an eleventh of an ambient nature, nice to listen to as an ending, a sort of escape from the sheer brutality that characterizes this album.

While the lyrical content remains somewhat similar (With the "FUCK" and "SHIT" in copious use), the actual subject matter is a bit more advanced than a song such as, say, Oh My Fucking God or Relentless. Shitstorm has some comedic lyrics while listening (read: I CAN'T EVEN FUCKING PISS!!!), but reading them as a whole shows a different, albeit subtle, side of Devin.

Textures flow wonderfully, with the similar keyboards that were all over "City" making a return after a bit of a hiatus on the self-titled album. They add heaviness and build-up at times, such as the enormous chorus of "Imperial". Speaking of which, that is likely the most memorable and heavy part of the album. The Lad's "Alien" is not one to be missed, a breath of fresh air in the saturated death metal atmosphere.